2016 was horrible. If ever there was a retrospective done, the things that went wrong and needed to be fixed, would require a tremendous amount of effort from us all.
2016 was a reverberating slap in the face of the progressives who just stay in front of their device and are furiously typing their valuable opinions as comments on Facebook. That is not how you make a stand. Action needs to follow. And this is what we need to talk about.
With the amazing rise of certain groundbreaking research, great products came to life this year: Tesla Solar Panels, LEAF, Microsoft Surface Studio, PeeWorld VR, amongst others. These products are presented by one person usually. Problem is: everyone thinks that person was the guy who "invented" the product in question and therefore focus is misplaced. More importantly, credit is wrongly given and aspirations are built on the wrong motivation. For a product to be successful, its vision needs to be shared across a majority or all of the people involved in its creation (and adoption).
Society has been conditioning us to believe in our individuality and uniqueness, and also to be afraid of the situations and behaviours that we do not comprehend. Oldest rule in the book: "Divide and conquer". As an individual, we can discover our own talents, strengths and weaknesses and hone those to move forward. But is moving forward really that important if you move forward alone? Is this a war where you need to stand victorious on a conical pile of corpses?
As one person, your chance of bringing about a globally significant change is 'slim' and I use the word loosely here. Plus, it is in those high up that societal pyramid (goverment and/or private sector) hands' that you play in, when you do start acting as a lone wolf. You are not significant. Your views do not matter as a singular person. However, to maybe give a bit more of a fight, you can assemble/join a collective/team representing your views that would have a bit more weight in the proverbial scales. The collective consciousness, the hivemind, is probably the only way, as a population in a so-called democracy, that you have to pressure and make your voice heard to those having the decisional power. Also, seek to understand things and situations before you do judge it by its (mainstream media's) cover, do a nice gesture for or make friends with people you never would have approached. Look at what Bernie and his team brought about: an eye-opening revolution against the fucked-up system made for the powerful. Same thing happening with the young politicians in China.
Austerity is clutching at the last straws of how to keep control throughout the world, we've seen this wave taking over globally. All the dictators, the fucked up systems working only for those at the top, the blatant corruption, trying to impose as many laws to restrict and restrain. But, if we get together, accepting that we are one, maybe we have a chance. Sometimes, good things happen when you take a leap of faith.
So leave those keyboards and screens. Do something tangible. Get people together. Hear their issues. See if you find a common ground to make your voice heard as a collective. For the fight is just beginning.